RadioPopper Introduces Gen 2 Products

Lots of announcements hitting the blog over at RadioPopper tonight -- new designs, 1500-foot TTL range, remote control of AlienBees and WL, the debut of the long awaited "juniors," etc. Way too much to quickly digest into one post.

Prices start at $59/$69 for the JrX receiver and transmitter, respectively, and go to $249 for the full-blown PX units.

RadioPopper has put a lot of the info into a video, embedded above. Full-line brochure is here with more photos and specs. Lotsa yakking about it going on here.

Anticipated release date? Pricing? Is there a single person at RP that has a clue about communicating relevant information to their customers in an effective manor? Geniuses can be so frakin' stupid at times.

That being said, the ability to mix control of shoe mount flash units off camera and AB/WL units will mean that Paul C. Buff's announced but not shipping Cyber Commander and CyberSync+ system is going to have some competition.

If you shoot Nikon and have Nikon strobs get the SU800 it works like a dream. As well iTTL and Nikon CLS which are pretty good most of the time. It also allows fully manual mode so I can control my flash output right there on the screen.

Wow. Full wireless control of levels from AB? I'll take 3 please! I havent been this excited since my first girlfriend. That unfortunately also means i'm also probly going to have to wait about a year to get anything...

What an arrogant video. They say this unit is a redesign of their previous unit, but they never bother to explain exactly what the product does. It's like they assume we all know what a "Radio Popper" does.

I guarantee you if I ask the 10 photographers I run across in NYC what a "Radio Popper" is, most won't know.

You think they would start the video by saying something like, "The Radio Popper is a unit that extents the range and improves the reliability of your Nikon or Canon wireless flash system..."

If I read the press release and watched the video correctly the Jr models dont have the whole IR to RF thing and thus arent able to do TTL. In order to do this you need to purchase the Popper X which is alot more than the current P1 series.

Darn it. I was hoping the Jr would be a value alternative. Might be better to swoop up some of the P1s at this point.

These are looking very very sweet. Certainly a bombardment of information to digest. Will be interesting to see who lands the Australian distribution rights, quite a few people hanging out for these puppies!

surely it's ability to use infrared communication with flash unit negates the paraphernalia such as pc-hotshoe adaptors etc that you need with other radio transmitters for use with non-radio flash units...? such as mine! ie, it really appeals to me. i'm new to the idea of radio transmitters, i have used optical systems only, which of course have their limitations. i plan on doing lots of research...julia.

Well, I'm happy that they finally announced their new product line, but disappointed to see that the Jr's are nowhere near the original $20 target price... They may be a great value for the feature-set, but they are by no means cheap.

Quote from the RadioPopper shipping policy page:"WE CURRENTLY WILL NOT SHIP ANY ORDERS OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES FOR ANY REASON. ANY ORDERS PLACED FOR SHIPPING ADDRESSES OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES WILL BE CANCELLED."This is not the attitude which the US economy needs at this moment. Why do RadioPopper cut themselves out from so many markets?

Just when i thought "ok, time to start saving for 14-24, that i so wanted". And mind you its not "20$ each time i open my mouth" anymore :)

Still - good news. I am glad to hear they are moving forward so boldly. Wish the price would be a bit lower, but oh well. Would be interesting to play with it, once i get few sb800 in me arsenal as right now its mostly sigma and olympus flashes.

Well i'm using 2 pocketwizzards at the moment, with 1 canon 580exII and 430ex.The big thing for me is that i would be able to change the settings on my flashes (set in manual mode) from my camera. I heared this would be possible with the new Radiopoppers.

Now my question:

Will i be able to combine Pocketwizzards with Radiopoppers? as they will block frequencies?

And if yes, wich unit(s) will i need? I don't care that much about the TTL really, it's all about changing my Canon's powersettings on the fly without having to fiddle on them manually.

Looks as thought they took it too far for the Jr. I was just looking for a radio trigger/receiver that had like 4 or 8 channels and a decent range, like maybe 200ft. Doesn't have to be work with the super geewizz I can do it all system. Just a basic system that I don't have to mod/change/improve.....Something that just works. I have been waiting for these for some time now and as it turns out I could have bought Pauls stuff a while ago.

I've been waiting for what seems like an eternity for the Jrs., a simple RF transceiver set that would provide the reliability of PWs at the price point of the Chinese remotes. Well, that was certainly time wasted.

I understand the beauty of shooting TTL, but that's not my bag. This is a solution that not only has nothing to do with my situation, but it also has nothing to do with their originally announced purpose for the Jrs. Way to get off track, folks.

And does anyone else remember RP's statement about turning around the majority of the profits on the Jrs. into charitable endeavors for photographers, giving back as much to the community as the community has given them? Yep, not seeing ANY mention of that anymore.

I'm disappointed to see a company with such cool and innovated ideas go so, well, corporate.

So if I'm reading this right, I can buy a JRX transmitter for my camera, put PX receivers on my Nikon SB strobes and JRX receivers on AB strobes and be able to manually control the power output on the Nikon and AB strobes. Very nice. Of course, since I use Hensel studio strobes, I'm out in the cold on this deal. I'll continue to stick with my Pocket Wizards for now. I'm wondering what the Pocket Wizard guys will come up with to counter this move.

For those who did not bother reading the entire press release, here's a summary based on my understanding (or lack thereof).

Buy the receiver based on the strobe you use: PX for Nikon/Canon, JrX Studio for Alien Bees/White Lighting (AB/WL), and JrX Basic for all others.

- PX transmitter triggers all the receivers, iTTL/eTTL for PX receiver, Manual power level control for PX, JrX studio, and trigger only for JrX basic.

- JrX transmitter triggers all the receivers, Manual power level control for PX, JrX studio, and trigger only for JrX basic.

What to get:

All Nikon or all Canon camera/strobes: Get the PX transmitter and PX receiver(s) for iTTL/eTTL and manual control.

All AB/WL strobes. Get the JrX transmitter and JrX STUDIO receiver. Manual remote power level control.

Mixtue of Nikon/Canon and other strobes: On the Nikon/Canon strobe, use the PX receiver for iTTL/eTTL and manual power level control. On AB/WL studio strobes, use the JrX STUDIO receiver for manual power level control. On all other strobes, use the JrX BASIC for remote triggering. No power level control. For your camera: - use the JrX transmitter for trigger and MANUAL contol of above, OR - PX transmitter for iTTL/eTTL for the Nikon/Canon strobes, manual control of AB/WL, trigger of others.

Well, I know the JrX are not priced like they should be, but at 99$ for a transmitter/receiver combo it still is pretty cheap. Especially considering the fact that they seem to have the same range as the PWs.

Very cool products indeed but not really what was promised. What happened to the $25 jr's? And $250 a pop for the PX's? Think I'm going to stick with my P1's. They work amazing and trading them in only to have to kick in more cash doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Congrats Kevin on some innovative new products but it looks like there are still some issues to address. Number 1 being the way you relay info to the masses.

I would be expecting the PW to be bringing something new to the table very soon:)

Also I love the idea behind ttl flashes but i dont like the new photographers that never take the time to learn the old ways of flash photography. I am sick of people acting like they are pros but they dont understand the basics. Please people do your homework..........

I like the idea, and the jnrs would suit me fine except that as a Uk user I've waited for so long and needing to go wireless have gone the Skyport route instead. they look great but why go US only unless they are awaiting certification from other countries? And if not, tell us that this is the situation.

>Quote from the RadioPopper shipping policy> page:>"WE CURRENTLY WILL NOT SHIP ANY ORDERS>OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES FOR ANY REASON.>ANY ORDERS PLACED FOR SHIPPING ADDRESSES>OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES WILL BE>CANCELLED.">This is not the attitude which the US economy>needs at this moment. Why do RadioPopper cut>themselves out from so many markets?

Because you're not allowed to market radio-frequency devices without formal product testing and approval, and believe me, getting your products through the test is NOT easy. For one thing, allowed frequencies in Europe are different, and it's not always straightforward to redesign a product for a different frequency. Last time I looked RadioPopper said they were working hard to get approval for the European market, but apparently they haven't managed that yet. So we'll have to wait on this side of the pond...

Excellent product that seems to me can be useful in two situations: high-speed sync and TTL for events (like weddings) where you cannot adjust remote flashes easily. I mostly photograph architecture and portraits, where TTL actually may not work well. If I get into weddings, buying a set is definitely an excellent investments. I definitely would like to congratulate RadioPopper for their creativity, technical prowess and perseverance to develope such an amazing product.

I think those complaining about the price tag should bear in mind the fact thousands can easily be spent on bodies and lenses, and equivalent-distance triggers and receivers. $59/$69 a piece is far better than I expected for the amount of features in the product...they could just as easily whack on a $150+ price tag in my opinion.

These things are looking great. The built-in CLS infra-red signal on my Nikon D80 only reaches about 12 feet, with no obstructions. Nearly ruined a recent photo shoot, because I thought the range simply COULDN'T be that poor... worse than a $2 TV remote.

The functionality of these seems great, and the price is comparatively good, but I was still greatly hoping they wouldn't run the same price as an entire SB-600 flash unit (less for the JR's, thank goodness), as they still bite into my wallet quite nicely, thus preventing me from getting them anytime soon. (got three SB-600's to mount up)

RE: "bear in mind the fact thousands can easily be spent on bodies and lenses, and equivalent-distance triggers and receivers. $59/$69 a piece is far better than I expected for the amount of features in the product"

I was watching "How it is made" or something like that on the Discovery channel a few months ago, and they showed the process for making camera lenses. I was blown away, by the process, and the individual attention given each lens, especially the glass. There is really no room for the slightest mistake.

Radio Poppers/Pocket Wizards/Gadget Infinity triggers cost very little to make, and there is a lot of tolerance for error in the manufacturing process. These things literally cost a few dollars to make (I know they have to recoup R&D costs, etc, but still).

It is a lot easier to shell out $$$ for a lens and camera that I couldn't image creating, than for a RF device that I could make in Jr. High with a kit from Radio Shack or from the back pages of Boy's Life.

They are not currently in my budget either but I can sure see how investing in them could help change that. I'm a little tired of missed shots costing me more than my cheapo triggers every time I make the mistake of counting on them when there is money on the line.

I was really excited when I saw this post. Took a look at their site and that's when the excitement stopped. The cost of just one set of iTTL transmitter/receiver is $100 more than the cost of an sb900. Paul C. Buff's cyber commander system is better designed and controls way more lights than the new radio poppers. Plus he mentioned it will work with high speed sync. No radio poppers for me, not at this price.

This is off topic, but directed at David H...I noticed you were shooting a Canon G9 at the Holiday Inn Lobby Bar in Dubai (and a G7 in your Strobist DVD). Just a Heads Up that Amazon is having a sale on underwater housings for both models. About 1/2 price. I have one for my SD870IS and I love it. Cheers.

No RP at this price for me either - $250 a piece? - when I need 4 receivers and a transmitter, even without cost of the flashes - it's just way too much.For now I'll wait for SU-800 to be back in stock and play with CLS alone for now.

I can just hope that one day Nikon will figure this out by them selves and make their own CLS/radio system.I wouldn't mind paying ~$150 more for a flash with something like Radiopopper system already build in.

Yep, its a bit disappointing for the delay and the increase in price for what was hoped to be a base model. Now with the American financial crisis dragging other countries down who invested in it, the Australian dollar is now a two thirds its old value and we’d be pushed to purchase the JrX which would now be approximately $100 AUD. An Australian distributor wont help as we have these for Canon and Nikon who seem to choose their own price rather than that equivalent to the exchange rate. I imported my sb800 from the US for under $500 AUD where as they retailed here by the distributor for $950 AUD. Things like the RP will suffer the same fate in the hands of a local distributor.

I personally think these sound great. While I would love $25 reliable radio triggers, and I understand everyone being upset because that was the previously mentioned price. At the same time consider the difference in quality between PocketWizards and Ebay triggers. Since these are supposed to be vastly more powerful and reliable than Ebay triggers, I'm not surprised that they cost more. Considering the JRx recievers are running $60, I think it's incredibly reasonable compared to $188 for PW. I would also say, they announced the Jr's at $25 how long ago? At that point the economy was much different, so I wouldn't be surprised if that had some affect on the price as well. Either way, the price point definitely works for me as I can equip my whole setup for just slightly more than one PW. This is assuming that they're reliable.

I have to agree with many here by saying the new design of the PX/Rx looks very cool. However, the price is going to keep most people (definately me!). With $500 already invested in Cannon flash heads, spending an additional $500 for radio triggers is not at all reasonable for most amatures.

I may be tempted to purchase the JrX units to replace my ebay triggers though.

One last note for the folks at RP. They have not even updated their main web site yet! They still say they are releasing the P8 and Jr products in late 2008. This very basic lack of attention to detail doesn't exactly give me the warm-n-fuzzy's about this start-up-company.

Look at this and think a bit. This gets you studio level performance with vendor level functionality.

I took about 30 shots Sunday where I had to run back to a flash unit again and again trying to get the exposure right as the shots changed. Having little dials on the top of my camera would have solved most of my issues.

I currently have a bag full of optical slaves with one canon 540EZ and a bunch of olympus and kodak flashes from the bargin bin.

I just did my first pro gig, and want to do more, but realize that need some better hardware. The studio remotes and the on camera controller for the AB/WL gear looks perfect.